The combination of this winter’s snowfall and January rains are helping to recharge Indiana’s soils. Ken Scheeringa, Indiana’s associate state climatologist says the swings in weather this winter have been very beneficial. “Unlike the summer, when there are plants trying to draw moisture out of the soil at the same time the moisture is short and we’re trying to recharge the soil, we don’t have that situation in the winter,” he says. “Crops are not in the ground and not competing for that soil moisture.”

Which means any moisture we do get isn’t being used immediately and is helping to recharge the soils.

Looking ahead to this spring – Scheeringa says the long-term forecast shows above normal chances for precipitation. “That would also mean good news because it means we could perhaps get into our planting season with a good start of available soil moisture,” he says. “We won’t have to worry, like we did a year ago, that moisture is already being depleted so early in the season.”